From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio
Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio
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Allmusic [1]
Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio Shanty and Mary Dee are married and are forced to deal
with the rigours of balancing a happy marriage and their
careers. Amid a quarrel, Mary Dee reveals that she is
pregnant and after surviving a nearly fatal accident,
gives birth to their son. Thus, the cycle of life in Liverpool
carries on.
This recording was captured at the oratorio’s pre-
miere at Liverpool Cathedral with McCartney in atten-
dance and features noted professional classical singers
Kiri Te Kanawa, Jerry Hadley, Sally Burgess and Willard
White re-enacting the roles in the oratorio.
The commercial reaction for the work, predictably,
was strong, with the oratorio spending many weeks atop
the classical charts worldwide, and even charting at #177
in regular album chart in the US. Critical reaction was
Live album by Paul McCartney and Carl Davis less positive, the virtually unanimous verdict being that
the work, while attractive, was simplistic, overlong and,
Released 11 October 1991
given its aspirations, insubstantial.[2][3][4]
Recorded 28 & 29 June 1991
Genre Classical Track listing
Length 1:37:28 All pieces by Paul McCartney and Carl Davis. The first
Label EMI Classics four movements are on disc one, the second four on disc
two.
Producer John Fraser
Paul McCartney chronology War
1. Andante (Orchestra) – 2:02
Unplugged (The Paul McCartney’s Off the 2. ’Non nobis solum’ – 2:35
Official Bootleg) Liverpool Oratorio Ground
(1991) (1991) (1993) 3. ’The Air Raid Siren Slices Through...’ (Shanty) – 2:09
4. ’Oh Will It All End Here?’ (Shanty) – 1:36
5. ’Mother And Father Holding Their Child’ – 1:16
Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio is Paul McCartney’s first
official foray into classical music and was released in
School
1991. Composed in collaboration with Carl Davis to com-
memorate The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s 1. ’We’re Here In School Today To Get A Perfect
150th anniversary, the project received a large amount of Education’ – 2:10
media attention upon its unveiling in June 1991. 2. ’Walk In Single File Out Of The Classroom’
Broken up into eight separate movements, the story (Headmaster) – 1:02
of the oratorio loosely follows McCartney’s own lifeline, 3. ’Settle Down’ – 0:40
with the main character, Shanty, who is born in 1942 in 4. ’Kept In Confusion’ (Shanty) – 2:35
Liverpool, raised to believe that "being born where you 5. ’I’ll Always Be Here’ (Mary Dee) – 1:35
are born carries with it certain responsibilities". After his 6. ’Boys, This Is Your Teacher’ (Headmaster, Miss
school days where he often "sagged off" (Liverpool slang Inkley) – 1:23
for skipping class), Shanty began working and meets his 7. ’Tres conejos’ (Miss Inkley, Headmaster, Shanty) –
future bride, Mary Dee. Following the death of his father, 1:50
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio
8. ’Not For Ourselves’ (Headmaster, Miss Inkley, 6. ’I’m Not A Slave’ (Mary Dee, Shanty) – 0:52
Shanty) – 0:55 7. ’Right! That’s It!’ (Mary Dee) – 0:49
8. ’Stop. Wait.’ – 2:03
Crypt 9. ’Do You Know Who You Are...’ (Nurse) – 3:36
1. ’And So It Was That I Had Grown’ (Shanty) – 0:48 10. ’Ghosts Of The Past Left Behind’ (Nurse, Shanty,
2. Dance – 1:44 Mary Dee) – 3:08
3. ’I Used To Come Here When This Place Was A Crypt’ 11. ’Do We Live In A World...’ (Mary Dee, Nurse, Shanty)
(Shanty, Preacher) – 1:58 – 3:18
4. ’Here Now’ (Shanty) – 0:46
5. ’I’ll Always Be Here’ (Mary Dee, Shanty) – 2:24 Peace
6. ’Now’s The Time To Tell Him’ (Mary Dee, Shanty) – 1. ’And So It Was That You Were Born’ (Shanty) – 1:22
2:21 2. ’God Is Good’ – 1:26
3. ’What People Want Is A Family Life’ (Preacher) – 2:17
Father 4. ’Dad’s In The Garden’ (Nurse, Mary Dee, Preacher,
1. Andante Lamentoso – 2:59 Shanty) – 3:13
2. ’O Father, You Have Given...’ (Chief Mourner) – 1:05 5. ’So On And On The Story Goes’ (Shanty, Mary Dee) –
3. ’(Ah)’ – 1:13 1:06
4. ’Hey, Wait A Minute’ (Shanty) – 1:44
5. ’Father, Father, Father’ (Shanty, Chief Mourner) – Personnel
4:12
• Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra – orchestra
Wedding • Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir – chorus
• Liverpool Cathedral Choiristers – chorus
1. Andante Amoroso - ’I Know I Should Be Glad Of This’ • Carl Davis – conductor
(Shanty, Mary Dee) – 5:42 • Ian Tracey – conductor
2. ’Father, Hear Our Humble Voices’ (Preacher) – 1:13 • Kiri Te Kanawa – soprano
3. ’Hosanna, Hosanna’ (Mary Dee, Shanty) – 1:40 • Jerry Hadley – tenor
• Sally Burgess – mezzo-soprano
Work • Willard White – bass
1. Allegro Energico – 1:20
2. ’Working Women At The Top’ (Mary Dee) – 2:52
3. Violin Solo – 5:05
References
4. ’Did I Sign The Letter...’ (Mary Dee) – 1:34 [1] Allmusic review
5. Tempo I – 0:30 [2] New York Times Review
6. ’When You Ask A Working Man’ (Shanty, Mr. Dingle) [3] The Guardian Review
– 1:34 [4] Gramophone review of recording
7. ’Let’s Find Ourselves A Little Hostelry’ (Mr. Dingle) –
2:04
Crises
1. Allegro Molto – 0:54
2. ’The World You’re Coming Into’ (Mary Dee) – 2:28
3. Tempo I – 0:45
4. ’Where’s My Dinner?’ (Shanty, Mary Dee) – 2:40
5. ’Let’s Not Argue’ (Shanty, Mary Dee) – 0:31
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Categories:
• Oratorios
• Double live albums
• 1991 live albums
• Classical albums
• Paul McCartney albums
• Collaborations in classical music
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio
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